World War Two

World War Two remains the largest conflict that the world has ever seen, with over one hundred million troops mobilised and fifty million deaths. British troops were engaged in action over many areas; from Burma, to North Africa, Italy and Northern Europe. The Eastern Front proved to be the bloodiest arena of the war, with over twenty million Soviet civilians losing their lives and 90% of Nazi casualties resulting from the fighting there. In addition to those killed in the fighting or in bombing raids, many perished in the horrific network of concentration camps that the Nazis established across occupied territory, targeting Jews, prisoners of war and others who did not fit with their baseless belief in the genetic superiority of the ‘Aryan race’. As was the case with all nations that played a significant role in the conflict, the impact on Britain was profound; civilians were directly targeted in bombing raids and the entire population had to be mobilised in order for victory to be achieved. Many were conscripted into the armed forces, millions of children were evacuated and entire cities were devastated during the blitz. Yet, after the initial success of the German ‘Blitzkreig’, the Nazis failed to execute a successful invasion of Britain and found their ability to expand into Eastern Europe severely hampered by the resistance of the Soviets. This enabled the eventual opening of a second front that led to the retreat and surrender of German forces. After this, the United States forced Japanese surrender through the dropping of two devastating atomic bombs and the war finally ended almost six years after it had begun. Yet, the political and social consequences would prove much more enduring.